Weekly Starts: Mercury more than doubled his appreciation and other news

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This week reminded us that creative accounting is not just about Hollywood. Some hopes were interrupted, but the newly formed businesses provide all the promises, from nuclear reactors to small EVs.

The most interesting boot stories from the week

The News Startup this week was very a mixed bag, with a public exit being finalized and another delay and a turmoil of other developments, both promising and frustrating.

They are worried about concerns: TechCrunch learned that several logos companies on the 11X website were not real customers of the A16Z and Benchmark start. Sources also said they used 11x used creative ways to calculate annual repetitive revenue.

Further delays: CereBras systems saw the iPO delay again. Ai Chipmaker has filed publicized in 2024, but the review of national security has been dragged.

Nuclear: A terrestrial energy, a US nuclear start that develops small hinged reactors, took public through SPAC and expects to clean $ 280 million. Meanwhile, Commonwealth Fusion Systems backed by Bill Gates hit a basic milestone to build the demonstration reactor.

Is not enough: The vertical agricultural company has been deposited for bankruptcy after increasing the funding of about $ 1 billion by investors, including Softbank, Walmart, Bezos Expeditions and Jeff Bezos investor as an angel investor.

Redundancies: Block, the start of Fintech co -founded by Jack Dorsey was fired 931 people, according to an email leak. The company, which holds the implementation of cash and the square, has already launched redundancies in 2024.

Rumors: Nvidia is approaching an agreement to obtain Lepton AI, a start -up hosting servers powered by AI chips. And Furiosaai, a start of South Korea that makes the AI ​​applications, is said to have rejected a $ 800 million acquisition from META.

The most interesting VC and new funding this week

From pre-spades to a series of E, here are some rounds that have received our attention this week. In addition, some new funding for VCS to invest in new bids.

Thermometer: Starting digital banking Mercury raised $ 300 million in primary and secondary funding, including a C series led by Sequoia. This also more than doubled its valuation at $ 3.5 billion after money.

Revaluation: The island, a company that makes business browsers, secured $ 250 million in a Coatue-led Catue series that has been assigned to Dallas based at $ 4.85 billion-a significant valuation hit less than a year after its previous round.

Also: Rivian has turned a new germination start -up also called, which has already received $ 105 million from Eclipse Ventures. Its purpose is to build small EMs, with a flagship product that enters production next year for consumers in the US and Europe.

Automated: The rapidly growing start -up of the Automation Workflow Automation N8N based in Berlin raised $ 60 million in a Highland Europe funding round, with HV Capital and previous Sequoia, Felicis and Harpoon investors. Sources reported that the valuation was close to $ 270 million.

Ramp for latam: YC Alum Mendel based in Mexico, has set a series B and expects its activities to reach profitability by the end of 2025.

Riches: Arcade, a genetic market AI for jewelry design, has at the same time announced the $ 25 million funding tour and expand to household goods, starting with carpets.

No free labor: Former Outreach Manny Medina CEO launched Pay, a new start that has already raised $ 11 million in pre-spades funding to make sure AI agents are being paid.

More AI: The California -based San Mateo, Capital EmgThence Capital, closed a seventh $ 1 billion fund to support B2B companies, with a strong interest in AI.

Blue checks: French company VC Daphni has announced the first closure of its third fund, Daphni Blue, with about $ 215 million secured by the total target of $ 270 million.

Beyond the voice: Amazon’s Alexa Fund expanded its scope beyond voice starts, with a broader emphasis on AI investment.

Last but not less important

A new report presented the 20 hottest newly established open source companies in the world. You can find the complete list and more details here. As you may have guessed, more than half of them have AI in their core.